Chivas USA goalkeeper Pat McLain will earn his first Major League Soccer start tomorrow afternoon as the Goats visit the Portland Timbers at JELD-WEN Field at 2 p.m. (PT). The 24-year-old will be replacing Captain Dan Kennedy, who is suspended due to a straight red card received after an apparent challenge over Sporting Kansas City Paulo Nagamura during last week’s match.

The young ‘keeper has been training closely with Kennedy and Tim Melia for the past two years, and Goalkeeper Coach Daniel Gonzalez knows he’s ready to step up for the Red-and-Whites.

“Pat [McLain] has worked very hard for the past year, and has progressed a lot,” said Gonzalez. “He is ready to step up in a match. He’s seen video and worked on analyzing his game. He’s a strong and smart kid, and he’s ready to face this challenge.”

His coaches and teammates describe him as a “very solid player”, with impressive feet and leg movement and very good timing on the ball in the air. On Sunday McLain’s qualities will also be strengthened by all the advice Kennedy shared with him this week.

“Kennedy has coached him a lot,” explained the coach. “He’s followed Pat’s game and development for a long time and they’ve been talking a lot about how to react in key plays during the game.”

McLain will not only have the captain’s advice. As it already happened in Kansas City and during this week at training the ‘keeper will count with full support from his teammates and coaching staff.

“He has to be relaxed; he has the whole team behind him, and all the trust and confidence from the technical staff, especially from ‘Chelís’. He will do a great job,” concluded Gonzalez.